Now and Forever
by dragongoddess13
Summary: Women's Professional Baseball League/ World War II AU. Bucky is skeptical about women in baseball, that is until he meets the Queen of Diamonds herself. Loosely based on the movie A League of Their Own.


Now and Forever

Carol King

A League of Their Own Soundtrack

Darcy x Bucky

World War II (WPBL) AU

* * *

_Baseball Hall of Fame_

_1982_

"Wow grandma is that you?"

Darcy Lewis Barnes looked away from the black and white photo on the wall to the short little brunette that barely made it passed her knee. Ashlee Barnes' bright blue eyes shined up at her grandmother with wonder and pride.

"Sure is doll." James 'Bucky' Barnes said, scooping his granddaughter up into his arms. She giggled as he dropped a kiss on her cheek. Her two older brothers stopped beside them. "Prettiest player in the whole league. Best player too."

"Were you really the best grandma?" Steve Barnes asked. Darcy smiled.

"There were a lot of talented women in the league. There wasn't a single woman out there that didn't deserve to be there."

Michael Barnes smirked in a way that left little doubt who his grandfather was. "Translation: yes."

Bucky chuckled, mussing Michael's hair.

"Grandpa, did you know grandma while she was a baseball player?" Bucky smiled down at little Ashlee in his arms.

"I did. In fact, if it weren't for the league, I never would have met your grandmother."

* * *

_Somewhere outside London, England_

_1943_

"Women's baseball?" Bucky's voice questioned over Steve's shoulder. Steve folded the paper in his hands and passed it over to Bucky.

"Yea, I guess the owners of all the major league men's teams were worried about baseball being shut down so they started recruiting women." Steve explained.

"I think it's a wonderful idea." Peggy added as she entered the Commandos' tent. Bucky scoffed. "What, do you have a problem with women on sports?"

"No, I just don't think baseball is a place for women." His argument sort of fizzled out near the end as he caught the stupidity in his own statement. Steve could see him deflate but couldn't resist the urge to rib him.

"As opposed to the factories right? I mean Rosie is riveting like crazy to keep the soldiers in weapons and vehicles but heaven forbid she pick up baseball bat."

"Alright punk, I get it, I'm an asshole." Peggy chuckled as she finished packing her bag.

"Perhaps we should catch a game while on leave." Steve smiled.

"That's a great idea. The paper said The Rockford Peaches are playing Racine the week we're back in New York. It will be just like when we were kids." Steve turned to Bucky who was finishing packing his own bag, straightening his uniform.

"Hopefully not too much, I'd hate to have to bail America's golden boy out of jail on leave."

* * *

_Long Island, New York_

_1943_

The field was located in rural Long Island, not far from the shitty little apartment Bucky and Steve called home. Peggy said it was charming, neither of them was fooled. By the time they made it the apartment they had less than an hour to make the game, so in full uniform they dropped off their luggage and booked it to the field.

They made it with minutes to spare and while the field was packed with spectators, they still managed to find a few seats open behind home plate.

The announcer began introducing the team one by one, and through most of it Bucky zones out. That small part of him that stood behind his earlier comments just seemed to spark to life when the girls started filling out in the field.

"I can't believe they make them play in skirts." Peggy sounded on the other side of Steve. And there it was the root of Bucky's skepticism. How was he supposed to take this seriously with the girls looking runway ready?

The final player was introduced and she made her way to the field weighed down in catchers gear.

"And last but certainly not least number twelve and batting ninth and catching, the Queen of Diamonds herself, Darcy Lewis!" The crowd roared as the brunette waved to the stands.

"Looks like we've found the league's star player." Steve joked, nudging Bucky in the side. "Careful Jerk, you're drooling."

Bucky didn't hear him, his eyes never leaving the curvy blue-eyed brunette on the field. She smiled like she knew something they didn't and stood like she couldn't care less if she was there right now or not. She was ready play; she was ready to put on a show. She was ready to do whatever she needed to do to make the crowd go wild and then leave them talking for years to come. She was there to leave a mark in the shade of her cherry red lipstick.

Bucky was smitten.

* * *

"_And we're now in the bottom of the ninth the bases are loaded with The Racine Belles up two runs. Darcy Lewis is making her way to the plate, let's see if her manger gives her the signal to swing away and bring her teammates home for the win."_

The pitcher wound up, wiping the ball toward the catcher, high and tight. Darcy choked up on the bat and planted her feet into the dirt. The ball came fast and hard and the resounding crack as the bat struck the ball, sent vibrations through her arms. The crowd screamed when the ball took off nearly taking the pitchers head off and sailing into the back of center field and over the back fence. The plates emptied out, and Darcy jogged her way around the diamond as the crowd chanted her name and her team went wild on the edge of the dugout.

"_That's it folks, the Rockford Peaches win by three in the final minutes."_

Bucky watched as the team surrounded Darcy congratulating her. She laughed and smiled as she interacted with her team and friends. She was amazing. Through the whole game she had the crowd eating out of her hands, catching foul balls with grace and style, then taking a hit from a base runner head on.

"She sure is somethin', ain't she punk?" Steve's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Yea." His eyes stayed with Darcy and as if she could feel his eyes on her she looked to the stands locking eyes with him long enough to realize he was starring like a love sick puppy. She smiled…shyly? Well that didn't seem like the Queen of Diamonds he just watched hit a home run. The next thing he knew she was being carted off by her team into the dugout and Steve and Peggy were ushering him out of the ball park with the rest of the crowd.

"So, what did you think?" Steve asked Peggy as they made their way back to Brooklyn.

"It was wonderful, although I'm not so sure I enjoyed the game as much as a certain someone." She laughed at the pink tinting Bucky's cheeks. Steve chuckled throwing an arm around his friend.

"So, what was that you were saying about women in baseball?" Bucky shook his head lighting up a cigarette.

"Yea, alright, I'm an idiot."

"As long as you realize that. Now, how about we head to Stark Expo for a little while than over to O'Donnell's for dinner and drinks?"

* * *

O'Donnell's was packed around dinner, but there was always a booth open for the owner's favorite local soldiers. They sat through the rush, enjoying a leisurely dinner, so by eight o'clock when they were ready for a few beers, the pub was much less packed, the dance floor was actually visible from where they were and the band wasn't fighting to be heard over the people.

It was about this time that fate seemed to shine favorably upon Bucky. Throughout dinner there had been a bit of good natured ribbing from Steve and Peggy, each finding his infatuation with a certain ball player amusing in their own ways. That being said, Bucky was under no illusion that he would probably never see the beautiful young catcher again. That is until the Rockford Peaches walked through the front door ready for a good time.

"You've gotta be kidding me. Luckiest damn bastard in the whole world." Steve grumbled. Peggy smiled as Darcy walked through the door behind her team. The girls took seats around a table near the dance floor and started ordering drafts. Almost immediately men were lining up asking to fill their dance cards. Most of the girls filed off, swinging along to the fast paced big band music. Bucky couldn't help but notice how Darcy turned everyone who asked down.

"Looks like she ain't dancin' tonight." Bucky mentioned, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Or, she's just waiting for the right partner." Peggy offered knowingly. Steve's shit eating grin brought Bucky back to happier times.

"Yea Buck, go on, give it a try. What's the worst that could happen?"

"She says no and I spend the night sulking in my room listening to you two trying to be quiet." Peggy punched him in the shoulder, and he winced rubbing the pain away. He smirked at the deep blush on Steve face.

"Completely worth it." He gestured to Steve.

"Just go ask her, jerk." With that, Steve gave Bucky a shove out of his seat.

* * *

"Darce, don't look now but that Soldier from the field is here." Darcy turned to Jane in the seat beside her. "He's watching you."

"Really?" she replied softly. Jane smiled at her little sister. Not many people would ever believe that Darcy Lewis was any kind of shy, but the fact of the matter was, no matter what front or persona she put on, she would always be soft spoken in her self-conscious moments. Attention from men usually came unwanted when directed at Darcy. She had hit puberty early in life and while the people that matter most to her knew she was an intelligent, well-educated young woman, those who didn't know her were only attracted to her outward appearance. So, when Darcy was legitimately attracted to someone at first glance, she took on a demure tone.

Casually Darcy peered over her shoulder meeting Bucky's eyes across the room. She looked away just as quickly a blush blooming across her cheeks. Jane laughed. "Awe, that's so cute. Oh, he's coming over!" Jane exclaimed in a hushed tone, bolting from her seat to the bar leaving Darcy alone at the table.

"Jane?"

"Hi." Darcy jumped, whipping around to find said soldier standing behind her. His smile was sheepish.

"Hi." She replied

"I'm James. I was wondering if you might like to dance?" she smiled.

"Darcy, I'd love to." She accepted his out stretched hand and let him pull her up from her seat. The band was still going at full speed and Bucky was pleased to find out how a good of a dance Darcy was. He swung her around the dance floor expertly, laughing and having fun for what felt like hours. Occasionally Bucky would catch Peggy and Steve out of the corner of his eye, they'd moved closer to each other, sitting side by side and talking in sweet, warm whispers. The songs slowed down every once and awhile and they followed suit, holding each other close and using the opportunity to talk in low tones.

Bucky was surprised to hear that Darcy was a college graduate, and because of the war she was unable to find a job with her degree, so when the baseball scout walked into their families car dealership in a little nowhereville town in New Mexico she and Jane jumped on the chance to get out of their hometown and earn some money for themselves, especially since her older sister had finished a doctorate the year before and her fiancé, a Norwegian national, in the States for school, was called home to fight in the war.

Darcy had been playing baseball for her hometown's team with her step sister, Natasha, two older brothers, Peter and Sam, and one older step brother, Clint since she was in grammar school. All but the youngest of the three brothers, Peter, was overseas with their step- father Colonel Philip Coulson. Clint was a sniper with Special Forces and Sam was in the air force, and Natasha was working with the Monuments Men as a translator. That left Peter to help their mother run the family business. In return, Bucky told her all about his little sister and his mom, who he was supporting on his army pay. He also told her about Steve, his little brother. She laughed at that.

"Little brother?" Bucky chuckled.

"Yea, believe it or not he used to be a lot smaller; could barely stand up against a stiff breeze. He did everything he could to enlist, but they just wouldn't take him. He was too sick. I thought I'd finally convinced him to give up on it until I got drafted and he tried even harder."

"You've got each other's backs."

"Till the end of the line. Steve doesn't like bullies; he'd pick fights with guys three times his size if it meant standing up for what he believed in." He smiled. "So, I ship off; make him promise not to do anything stupid. Six months later I'm a prisoner of war and my best friend is starring down at me in some weird spangled uniform with an honest to god shield on his back. I stand up, he's taller than me, he doesn't look like he steps away from collapsing and I just watched him jump thirty feet if not more from cat walk to cat walk over a flaming pit."

"You're best friend is Captain America." It was more of a statement than a disbelieving question. He leaned in with a smirk and whispered conspiratorially.

"He prefers Steve." She laughed, but was prevented from replying when the aforementioned man walked up to them.

"Hey Buck, sorry to interrupt." He told them and he blushed when she smiled knowingly at him. "What did you tell her?"

"Nothing that ain't true Punk." Bucky laughed. Steve shook his head.

"Peggy and I are gonna head home, I'll leave the door open for you." And with that he left.

"Bucky?" she questioned as he turned back to her.

"My full name is James Buchanan Barnes."

"Does everyone call you Bucky?" his smile was sweet.

"Only the people who matter."

They continued dancing and laughing through the night until one of her team mates walked in and started rounding up the team.

"Maria, what's wrong?" Darcy questioned the older woman as she tried to convince several of the girls to leave the pub.

"We have to go. Fury is on his way here and if he catches us we're out of the league." Darcy looked back to Bucky dejected.

"I'm sorry, I have to get back to the boarding house." she pulled away reluctantly, her sister waiting near the back door. He held onto her hand.

"Well wait, don't I get a kiss good bye?" she turned back smiling.

"Come to the game tomorrow. Catch a foul ball." She smirked as he slowly released her hand. "Goodbye James." She turned away and jogged to catch up with her Jane and the team. He hesitated for a moment before following her out into the back alley. He caught a glimpse of her as she rounded the corner and ran after her, stopping when she was in sight.

"Darcy." He called after her. She turned back surprised to see him; her teammates stopping with her. "Call me Bucky." He smirked as the blush crossed her face her team oohing and aweing behind her.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Steven asked over his paper.

"Baseball game." Bucky smirked, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows. He pulled his hat off the coat tree by the door and turned back to Steve. "Don't wait up."

* * *

A/N: I'm almost certain there will be another part to this.


End file.
